JFAR’s Caregiving and Aging Programs and Services

JFAR is committed to serving our Jewish community as it ages as well as those who provide invaluable assistance within that community as caregivers.

We received generous bequests from the estates of Rosalyn Snyderman of Little Rock and of Belle Danziger and Zelik Danziger of Texarkana.  In honor of their memories and in recognition of their generosity we have set aside those bequests to help us support our Caregiving and Aging Programs and Services.  A generous donation, in addition, from the Strauss family to create the Shirley and Sam Strauss Memorial Fund allowed us to hire a social worker to serve our community.

Current Service Offerings:

• Friendly Visitor Network – Our Friendly Visitors provide comfort and companionship to our community members!

• Caring for our Caregivers – We honor those who care for our community members. The Caregiver Support Group meets at noon on the second Monday of the month.

• Senior Events and Workshops – We host presentations, workshops, and activities for seniors year round. Check our online calendar to see what’s coming up next.

• Relocation Assistance and Living Options – We support families considering residential moves from hospital to rehab centers and from their primary residence to independent living, residential living, assisted living (I and II), skilled nursing, and subsidized living. We also help families apply for in home care. Contact our social worker for assistance.

• In-home Evaluations – As life changes our needs change. We conduct a wide range of assessments including functional abilities, cognition, health, emotional well-being, safety and fall risks, nutrition, budget, and benefits. Contact our social worker for assistance.

• Personal Living Plans – We help community members develop personal living plans and connect them with community resources for social supports, activities, meals, in home care, and financial aid. We also help them create sustainable budgets and do emergency planning.

• Advanced Health Directives – We help community members fill out advanced health care directives or connect to an elder law attorney for directives or trusts. We also help with end of life planning and care including hospice and funeral planning. Contact our social worker for assistance.

• Navigate the Health Care System – We help community members apply for Medicare, Medicaid, disability insurance, in home care, and hospice.

• Music & Memory Program – We create and provide personalized music playlists to bring joy and a sense of well-being to people whose lives have changed because of illness or other conditions. Contact our social worker to participate.

  JFAR Men’s Group — Meet up for lunch and good conversation. Check our online calendar to see what’s coming up next.

History of the Program

Intern Breana Josephson Clark’s 2014 Needs Assessment of the Aging Jewish Population in Arkansas in conjunction with informal interviews conducted with caregivers and aging professionals identified the following unmet needs in our older adult population:

• An individual to serve as a resource and advocate for caregivers and seniors in the Jewish community and to organize programming.

• Centralized resources on social services, Medicaid, social security, types of local senior caregiving and living facilities, and legal matters.

• Transportation to Jewish community events

• Informational resources, support groups, and improved advocacy for Jewish community caregivers

• Improved communications, especially about Jewish community events, with older adults who are not online as well as training to bring more older adults online

• Increased socialization for those who may feel isolated as they age

In response, the JFAR Board has committed to developing programs and services, as follows, for meeting those needs:

• A pilot position (initially 1-3 years) for a JFAR social worker to serve the entire Arkansas Jewish community as an informational resource, do outreach and counseling, and help establish further programs and services

• A network of transportation in and around Little Rock to JFAR and other events within the Jewish community

• A network of friendly or “well” visits

• Informational sessions by exerts in the community on issues related to caregiving

• A partnership with Congregation B’nai Israel on the Coffee, Cake, and Conversation series

• A blog on aging in conjunction with computer training

• An initiative within our PJ Library Program to connect children and older adults via PJ Library readings.

Our office wishes to think those who helped to make the needs assessment and initiative proposal possible: our Intern Breana Josephson Clark, her volunteer internship supervisor Rickie Lockwood, her advisor on the survey, Mark Krain, z”l, and the members of the Caregiving and Aging Services committee